A Dangerous Enterprise
"Pass the word for Mr. Richardson, please. He's wanted in the captain's
cabin immediately."
The order, conveyed by means of a marine, was called in stentorian tones
down the companion ladder leading to the narrow quarters in which Tyler
had breakfasted, and brought him to his feet with a flush upon his
cheeks.
"A wigging! He's going to catch it nicely!" sang out one of his new
messmates, giving vent to a bantering laugh. "The skipper wants to know
what he means to do with his fleet, and whether he has made arrangements
to victual his Dyaks. Stand aside there, you fellows, and permit the
admiral to pass! This way, sir, and if you're wanting a mate of sorts,
why, look about you, for here are the men!"
The young fellow who had shouted the words indulged in a comical
grimace, and placing his hand to his heart bowed in mock deference to
the lad who, up to a few hours before, had, indeed, been as good as an
admiral, for he had had command of quite a number of vessels, while the
fate of many individuals had been in his hands. However, Tyler was not
the one to take offence, particularly when his comrades had greeted him
in such a manner, and with a laugh, and a sudden dash at the banterer
which sent the latter sprawling on one side, he gained the companion and
commenced to mount to the deck above.
"Right!" he called back with a merry laugh, "you shall all come with me,
and as for the victualling, you shall have the management of that, for
you have shown that you possess a hearty appetite, which will keep the
food question before you. But sorry I can't wait, you fellows. I'll send
for my first mate when I want him!"
A roar of good-natured laughter followed him up the ladder, and he
emerged upon the deck with smiling features, well pleased with the
manner in which he was treated by those with whom he had to live. Then,
straightening his dress, he went aft to the cabin in which Captain
Keppel had his quarters, and was announced by the marine who stood on
guard outside the door.
"Mr. Tyler Richardson," said the latter, throwing open the door. "Shall
he enter, sir?"
"Show him in, please," was the answer, "and send to Lieutenant Horton
with my compliments and with the request that he will kindly attend
here."
Next moment Tyler found himself in the presence of his commanding
officer, before whom he stood cap in hand.
"Come and sit here," said Captain Keppel, taking him by the shoulder,
"and make yourself comfortable, for I am going to have a discussion in
which you will have to take a part. You must know that Mr. Brooke has
at length managed to arouse the interest of the Government, who have
for very many years been indifferent to the trade which might result
to England by suppressing bloodshed in these parts, and in consequence
the _Dido_ has been sent here to help him, and with the main object of
putting an end to these acts of piracy which are so frequent, and which
invariably end in cruel murders and in slavery. That is the way. Sit
down in that chair, and try to remember every point in your journey down
the river Sarebus, for the information which you can give us will be of
the utmost value. But tell me, have you seen the little captive since
you brought her to Sarawak?"
"She was taken ashore at once, sir," responded Tyler, his interest in
the child being at once aroused. "You see, while on the schooner I had
so many things to arrange and to look to that I never had an opportunity
of speaking to the captives, or of asking them how it was that they had
fallen into the hands of the Dutchman."
"Then I can tell you all about them," said the captain. "The child is
the daughter of a naval officer stationed with the China fleet, and at
present doing duty at Hong-Kong. She was on her way home to England for
the purpose of education, and was despatched by a schooner which would
take her to Singapore, where she would tranship to a mail boat bound for
home waters. The tale of her capture is nothing out of the ordinary, and
it suffices to say that this scoundrel of a Dutchman, of whom I hope to
hear more, came upon the vessel and took her without difficulty, for she
was manned by Chinese for the most part. They were killed at once, while
the nurse and the child were kept, probably with the idea that money
might be obtained for them. It was a gallant deed, Mr. Richardson, and
reflects the greatest credit upon you, for it would have been far easier
and far less dangerous for you to have gone off with the prahus and your
followers, leaving the two to their fate.
"But there, I see that you do not like to hear much about that part of
the matter; though before dropping the subject I consider that it is
only right for me to acquaint you with the fact that I have given a full
description of the rescue in despatches which I wrote after your arrival
here, and also that I have sent a letter to the officer whose child you
rescued.
"And now let us turn to these pirates, for I hear Mr. Horton's step
outside."
He turned to greet the chief officer of the _Dido_, and having motioned
him to a chair, placed himself at the end of the dining-table which
occupied a central position in the cabin.
"Oblige me by drawing closer," he said, "and cast your eyes over these
rough charts. They are some which I have prepared with the help of
natives who have ascended the Sarebus, and may or may not be correct.
And now, Mr. Richardson, kindly tell me which are the towns on the
river, adding any points which may be of importance."
Thus bidden, Tyler scanned the charts which his commander put before
him, and having asked for a pen and ink, and for a piece of blank paper,
began at once to sketch the true course of the river, as observed by
himself when escaping from Paddi.
"Rembas is the first of the strongholds, and is said to be the most
powerful," he remarked. "But we had the good fortune to pass the pirates
of that name, they mistaking us for friends. Pakoo comes next, and then
Paddi, where this Dutchman has his residence. The river there divides
into two, and Paddi is placed on the tongue of land between the two
tributaries."
"And what about the bore?" demanded Captain Keppel eagerly. "I am told
that these pirates seem not to fear attack, and, indeed, scarcely make
any preparations for defence, except such as is necessary to keep native
tribes out, for they imagine that this bore protects them. It is caused
by the tide running into a wide mouth, and then suddenly finding only
a narrow course. The mass of water is still forced on, and, unable to
spread to either side, it rises till it forms quite a wall, and advances
up the river in that manner."
"With the result that it swamps any but boats of fairly large size,"
added the lieutenant. "At least, that is the account which the rajah
gave me, and he heard the tale from natives who had ascended the river."
"It may be so," Tyler answered, "but we did not meet with this bore on
our way down to the sea. Should there be such a thing, and I can well
imagine it, considering the straight course of the river and the manner
in which it suddenly narrows, it would not be very difficult to avoid
being swamped, for the bore will come with the tide, and at that time
any boats which might be conveying an expedition could be rowed into a
bay or creek, many of which exist all along the banks."
"And in there they could lie in safety!" exclaimed the commander of the
_Dido_, looking swiftly at his first officer. "It is a good suggestion,
Mr. Richardson, and I now perceive how it is that you managed to bring
the tribe of Dyaks through. Depend upon it, the man--or lad for the
matter of that, for you are scarcely more--who is gifted with common
sense, and with sufficient steadiness to use it, finds his resources
many, and a way out of difficulties which would be unsurmountable to
others less inclined to think. Then you would lie up in one of these
creeks if you were in command of the expedition?"
"Yes, sir," replied Tyler with a flush. "I should row up for a quarter
of a mile, and then, if it were possible, I should disembark and haul
each boat into the jungle. Then there would be no danger of being
swamped, and once the bore had passed the expedition could push on
again."
"And probably take the enemy by surprise, for the latter would hardly
expect them, and would, in fact, believe that all had been drowned by
the bore. Yes, the plan will prove a good one, I am sure. And now to
discuss the other part, and to obtain a full description of the river
from you."
For more than an hour did the three pore over the charts, and discuss
the measures to be taken for the suppression of the pirates. Then Tyler
was addressed once more by his commander.
"And now I have a request to make," said the latter gravely, turning
to him slowly and scanning his features closely, as though he would
read his character by that means. "You have had more fortune than falls
to the lot of the vast majority of young fellows, for you have passed
through part of a country which is considered impossible for Englishmen,
a part where the Dutch have never dared to go. Moreover, you have met
these pirates face to face, and you have beaten them soundly; not in
actual hand-to-hand combat, you understand me, but in wits, in sharpness
and decision. Thanks to you and the information which you have given
so clearly, we are in a better position now to attack these pests than
ever before. But we are ignorant of the special precautions which
they will take; for, rest assured, they will hear of this intended
expedition, for their friends and sympathizers are everywhere, and
Sarawak is not without spies who carry tales to the enemy. That being
the case, they will make strenuous efforts to resist us, for they have
existed for a century and more and no one has ever been successful in
repressing them. For that reason they will fight the harder to beat
us back, and as a careful leader, who desires to lose as few men as
possible, I wish for fuller information if it can be obtained. You have
once before been in disguise. Will you don the same dress again, and
go to the Sarebus river in advance of our party, with the object of
spying upon the pirates, and of furnishing us with a warning as to their
intended movement?"
For more than a minute did Captain Keppel keep his eyes fixed upon our
hero, searching closely as if to see whether he would flinch at such a
request, or show by a twitch of the lips, a wavering eye, or in some
other manner, that the task was likely to be too much, and would make
too great a call upon his fortitude.
"Mind," he went on, seeing that Tyler returned his searching gaze
unflinchingly and without so much as a tremor, "I make a definite
request, a suggestion that you should undertake this matter, for I am
well aware that you are the most fitted for it. But I realize the great
danger to be incurred, particularly when I bear in mind the fact that
you have a personal enemy in this rascally Dutchman, who has sworn
to obtain your head; and for that reason, and because a task of this
description is essentially one for a volunteer, I make no order. I do
not, on the strength of my being the commander of this vessel, while you
are a subordinate, tell you that you are to go. Come, think the matter
over. Go to your quarters and discuss it if you wish, returning here in
a couple of hours, when you will have had time to make up your mind. And
recollect this, that should you refuse to undertake the task I shall
not think the worse of you, for the adventure will be full of danger
and difficulty, and will take you right amongst the pirates and amongst
enemies from whom you were most fortunate to escape."
Once more did the captain of the _Dido_ lean back in his chair while he
gazed at our hero. But, had he expected to find any hesitation on the
latter's part to accept the post assigned to him, he was destined to be
mistaken, for not once had Tyler shown the slightest trace of fear.
"I would have answered at once," he said, suddenly breaking the silence
which he had maintained up to this, "but I have been busily thinking
whether I could possibly do as you say, whether the disguise of a native
of these parts would be sufficient, seeing that I am wholly ignorant
of the language. But what I have done once I can attempt again, and I
thank you, sir, for giving me the opportunity. I do not require to think
it over, as my mind is already made up. I will do my best to obtain
the fullest information, and bring you warning of the movements of the
pirates. When can I set out?"
"As soon as you are ready, my lad; and let me say that I admire you for
giving a decision so readily. There are few who would undertake the
matter, and, as I have said, not many who could make the attempt with as
much hope of success as yourself. You will, of course, want a companion,
for you do not speak the Dyak language, and might get into difficulties.
Make your own selection and your own plans without reference to me, for
you have shown such sense up to this that I can trust you to choose
well. When you are quite prepared for the journey, come to me, and I
will give you any further instructions which I may happen to have."
"And perhaps it would be as well, considering the fact that Sarawak
has many spies, to beg Mr. Richardson to keep silence on the matter,"
broke in Lieutenant Horton. "After all, a discussion amongst the other
officers might find its way elsewhere, and spoil our young friend's
chances of success."
"And perhaps endanger his life," said Captain Keppel eagerly. "Quite
right, Mr. Horton! and I thank you for the advice. Very well, my lad,
return as soon as you are ready, and tell me then how you mean to tackle
this matter. Remember that I leave it all to you, including the means by
which you are to reach the Sarebus."
With a bow and a hearty shake of the hand, which was repeated by the
first officer, Tyler was dismissed, and at once walked forward into the
bows of the _Dido_, well knowing that he would have no opportunity for
thinking if he rejoined his comrades below. Behind him he left the two
officers, still conversing eagerly, and wondering how this quiet young
fellow, who had joined the ship in such strange fashion and after the
most extraordinary adventures, would elect to carry out the matter which
had been entrusted to him.
"He is decidedly older than his age," remarked the lieutenant, "and I
will wager that he carries the task through brilliantly. He has his
head screwed on, and has a fine spirit. We shall see him charging at
the head of our men before these pirates are done with, and I prophesy
quick promotion for him. But I will leave you now, sir, if you no longer
require me, for I may be able to help our young friend in this matter."
While the commander of the _Dido_ remains in his cabin or on the
poop of his vessel, restlessly trudging backwards and forwards, with
his thoughts for ever bent upon the coming expedition and upon the
precautions necessary to be taken, let us once more seek for Tyler in
the secluded spot away in the bows of the ship, where he had hidden
himself, well knowing that only there would he obtain that peace
and uninterrupted quietness which would permit him to give his full
attention to the journey which was before him. Seating himself upon the
sprit, where it came in through the rail, he bent his head on his hand
for the space of a few moments, while he rubbed his eyes as though the
action would enable him to see clearly into the future. Then he turned
his gaze in the direction of Sarawak, and let his eyes pass from hut to
hut, from the so-called palace of Rajah Brooke, the great Englishman
who had devoted himself to the cause of the Dyaks and of all people
inhabiting that portion of Borneo, to the quaint and straggling street
which cut through the main part of the town. Then, dreamily, and as
if his thoughts were too much occupied to take in all the details, he
allowed his view to cross a strip of jungle and fall upon a neat and
orderly settlement beyond. Houses built of bamboo, and displaying many
a flaring signboard in front, were clustered together in an orderly
manner, while many a thin wisp of smoke curled into the air. And about
the houses, engaged in the yards which most seemed to have attached to
them, were numbers of figures, working for their living, at peace with
all the world, and settled in this town of Sarawak as if they had been
there for years.
"Busy fellows," thought Tyler, suddenly attracted by the scene, and
indulging in a closer look. "The Chinaman is a wonderful worker, and a
very contented man. And I suppose that Li Sung is over there, having
found his wife and child."
He ceased speaking, and looked again with increased attention. Then he
rose to his feet, and, leaning on the rail, stared at the collection of
huts.
"He is a shrewd fellow," he murmured, as though some thought had
suddenly come to him. "All Chinamen are clever and cunning; and Li is
thoroughly trustworthy. I will go across to him and chat the matter
over."
Conscious that the expedition before him was one which demanded no
little thought, and that to attempt to carry it out hastily, and with
little preparation, could only lead to misfortune, Tyler had determined
to take every precaution, and make every necessary enquiry before
setting out.
"Then whom else could I go to who is better able to give advice?" he
said to himself. "Li is a faithful fellow, and I believe is attached to
me. He has suffered at the hands of these pirates, and he will be glad
to see them exterminated. If I go to him he will be able to give me a
hint as to a disguise, and I can rely upon him to keep a silent tongue
in his head. I'll go across at once."
To act upon this decision was the work of a few moments only, for about
the _Dido_, keeping, however, at a respectful distance, a number of
native craft always hovered during the day. To hail a sampan, therefore,
was an easy matter, and very soon Tyler was being ferried to the shore.
"I quite forgot to ask permission to go!" he exclaimed, suddenly
recollecting that he was no longer his own master, and that he was
subject to the discipline of the ship. "However, I dare say that they
will accept my excuses, particularly when they hear for what reason I
have gone. Ah! here we are, and a short walk will take me to the Chinese
town."
Leaping upon the little landing-stage which had been erected, he tossed
a coin to the oarsman, for the paymaster of the _Dido_ had advanced him
a couple of months' pay. Then he strode off towards the houses which he
had seen from the ship, and was very soon in the street which divided
the dwellings.
"Where is Li Sung?" he demanded of the first man he met.
"Li Sung? Ah, him comee here wid de Dyaks and de whitee man!" said the
Chinee, using the curious pigeon-English which is common to men of
the race who attempt our language. "Yes, you findee him dere;" and he
pointed to one of the neat houses. "Li him velly sad."
"Sad! For what reason?" thought Tyler. Then, thanking the man, he strode
to the door of the house and knocked, entering as a voice bade him do so.
"What is the matter?" he demanded, suddenly catching sight of a figure
huddled in a corner. "Is that you, Li Sung?"
At the sound of his voice the Chinaman sprang to his feet with a cry
of delight, exposing, however, a face which was woebegone to the last
degree. Then he darted forward and clasped Tyler by the hand.
"Li am velly sad man," he said. "He comee through so much, and he lookee
to de time when he comee home and meet him wife and child. But dey not
here, massa. Dey tink poor Li dead, he stay away so long, and dey sail
back to Singapore. Li all alonee!"
"Then you will be able to listen to me, and it will do you good not to
think of your trouble," said Tyler, taking him kindly by the arm. "You
can help me if you will."
"Den I listen, for Li am de servant. De massa am always kind to de
Chinee boy. He no kickee and hitee him, and him bringee Li through wid
de Dyaks. What does de massa say?"
"That you can do something for me. Come, let us sit down and talk."
Taking their seats beside one another, Tyler began to tell Li Sung of
the task before him; then for an hour or more the two chatted in low
whispers, the Chinaman asking many a question, and lapsing into silence,
often for the space of a minute, as he considered the matter.
"De plan do velly well," he said at length, with smiling features, which
were a contrast indeed to the air of sorrow which he had worn when first
his white master had accosted him. "De way to Paddi am open, and de
Chinamen go dere velly easy. De massa am wise, for he tink of dis, and
he say to Li: 'You comee wid me, and later on you havee money to go to
Singapore.' Dat allee dat Li want, and him not afraid of de Dutchman."
"I should think not!" exclaimed Tyler, delighted at the thought that he
had obtained a companion who would be so useful to him. "As you say, the
plan seems a good one, and I do not see why we should not be successful.
All depends on the disguise, and upon whom we meet in the river. But we
have been talking for long. Let us set about the preparations without
further delay."
Some two hours later, when the sun was overhead, and a hot haze hung
over the water, a sampan was seen to be rowing from the creek upon the
banks of which the Chinese town was situated, and was observed to
direct its course towards the _Dido_. At first the marine who was doing
sentry-go at the summit of the gangway paused listlessly in his weary
tramp, glad of anything, however small, which would break the monotony
of his hours of duty, and favoured the craft with a half-pitying gaze.
Then he stifled a yawn, remarked upon the heat and discomfort of such
latitudes when compared to Old England, and would have pursued his
beat had not a second movement on the part of the sampan attracted his
attention.
"Well, that does for me!" he exclaimed, bringing his musket from the
shoulder to the deck with a clash which startled the mid-day silence.
"Making this way against orders! All these here blacks, and the China
boys too, know well that the rule is that they are not to come alongside
unless a chief or big gun o' some sort is along with 'em. And here's
a sampan, with a couple of cheeky chaps aboard, making direct for us!
Who knows? they might have a keg of powder aboard. Hi, you two monkeys!
Clear right off, or I'll--!"
He brought the butt of his musket to his shoulder and made pretence to
aim. Then, as the Chinaman who occupied a seat in front of the one who
was plying the oars rose to his feet and faced about, the sentry came to
the rail, and leaned over it to inspect the craft and its contents more
closely.
"It ain't no use yer kow-towing," he called out, seeing that the
individual who had just risen to his feet was bowing to him. "I tell yer
that it ain't allowed, so clear off, and quick about it too."
Whether the Chinaman understood what was said it would be difficult to
state, but it would appear as though he did, for he at once thrust his
hand into the interior of his capacious coat and produced a document,
which he held above his head.
"For de chief!" he called out. "Dis am a letter, and de man here and me
comee to speak to de captain about de pirates."
"Oh, yer've got a letter, 'ave yer? Well, sit tight there till I've
called the sergeant," shouted the sentry. "Hi, sergeant, there's two
China boys wanting to come aboard!"
A few minutes' parley sufficed to obtain the necessary permission,
and then the two Chinamen having been searched to make sure that they
carried no arms and had no murderous intentions, they were allowed to
mount the gangway and step upon the deck.
"This way," said the sergeant, "and jest stop that 'ere kow-towing. I
ain't the captain."
Apparently it annoyed him to see the Chinamen bobbing there in that
senseless way, for he turned from them with a scowl and led the way to
the poop, where Captain Keppel was standing.
"Two men to see yer, sir," he said, shouldering his musket in salute.
"Two Chinamen, what says they've a letter for yer. Shall they come up,
sir?"
"A letter! Two Chinamen! Perhaps they have some information about the
pirates!" exclaimed the commander with a start. "Send them up, sergeant."
A minute later the two strangers were before him, to find that his chief
officer had joined him, while both were staring at these intruders, no
doubt wondering what information they had to bring.
"Well, what is it?" demanded the commander. "You have a letter, and as
far as I have been led to understand, you have some information to give
me. Now, get along with the business, and do stop that kow-towing."
At the words a half-hidden smile wreathed the features of the man who
had stood up in the craft, and who had had possession of the letter. But
in a moment it was suppressed, and, at once ceasing the bows with which
he had favoured the white man, he drew the document out of an inner
pocket and handed it to the captain.
"Dat am de plan of de river Sarebus," he said. "Fo Sing knowee de water
velly well, and Li Sung been dere many a time. De news in de town am
dat de Englishmen am to go to de river to fight de pirate, and Fo Sing
and Li Sung comee here to say dat dey willee go dere too, and take de
news to de pirates. If we not go, den de news reach dem all de same.
But s'posing we am dere, den we makee friends, we laugh and we eat
wid de pirate, and one velly fine day we come away again, and tell de
Englishmen allee dat we see."
"Why, the man is proposing exactly what we had arranged!" gasped Captain
Keppel. "But I must keep that to myself. What do you think of this
offer, Horton? It seems uncanny that these fellows should have come
at such a time. One really begins to think that they have guessed our
plans."
"They can hardly have done that, sir," was the answer. "But would not a
second party be advisable? Then if one failed--you understand?"
"Quite so, exactly, though I trust that there will be no mishap. But
this fellow says that he has been to the Sarebus before. Probably one of
the pirates, if one could only get at the truth."
"Yes, that may be the case," replied the chief officer, with elevated
eyebrows, "but a Chinaman will do anything for gold. Here, what are you
asking for this work?"
He turned to the spokesman of the two who had come aboard, and demanded
his price, while he stared closely at him, watching him narrowly.
"For me, nothing, sir. I shall do my utmost for the navy. For Li Sung,
the Chinaman who accompanied me through a part of Borneo, and then down
the Sarebus, he asks merely that a passage shall be paid for him so that
he may sail for Singapore, there to rejoin his wife and family."
In a moment the tones of the Chinaman's voice had changed, and the
captain of the _Dido_ and his chief officer found themselves listening
to the young fellow who had so recently joined them. In utter amazement
they stared at him, only to find that he returned their glances gravely,
and with never a smile, for Tyler was in desperate earnest, and had come
aboard in this manner, not to make fun of those who were his superiors,
but to test the effectiveness of his disguise. Seeing that matters had
gone far enough already, and that, in spite of the brilliant light, and
of the fact that Captain Keppel and Mr. Horton were so close to him,
they had failed to recognize him, he at once spoke in his natural tones,
so that it might become clear who he was.
"What! Impossible!" exclaimed the commander, stepping forward swiftly
and thrusting his face close to Tyler's. "Mr. Richardson in disguise! It
cannot be; for this is a real Chinaman if ever I saw one. What do you
say, Horton?"
"It is wonderful. The lad would pass inspection anywhere, and has
completely taken us in. I have no fears for him, for, dressed as he is,
even the Dutchman will fail to recognize him. But what are we to do? It
will never do to declare who is here, for the tale would fly round the
deck, and our men would have it before half an hour had passed."
"And the safety of the expedition and of these two might be
jeopardized," cried the commander. "Come down to the cabin, Mr.
Richardson, and leave your companion here with instructions to say
nothing and to keep his tongue between his teeth."
As if too dazed to say more, Captain Keppel turned about and led the way
to his cabin, the chief officer following closely upon his heels, and
Tyler bringing up the rear, kow-towing with the gravest of faces and the
most servile of manners as they passed him. Once the door had closed
upon them, however, the officers burst into hearty roars of laughter,
and for some little time could do nothing more than stare at our hero
and walk round and round him, closely scrutinizing his apparel. And well
they might, too, for the special duty which was about to take Tyler to
the Sarebus was one fraught with the gravest danger, and he was well
aware that discovery would mean death. For that reason Li Sung had taken
the utmost pains to transform him, and, thanks to the fact that on this
occasion he was at home, and surrounded with all that was necessary
for the purpose, he had contrived to provide a disguise which could
not have been improved upon. Indeed, as he stood there in the cabin,
Tyler was a Chinaman from his bald pate, with its dangling pigtail,
to his thick-soled shoes. Nothing had been passed over, and so clever
and painstaking had been Li Sung that the eyes seemed to be precisely
the same as those possessed by the normal Chinaman. In short, as the
interview upon the poop had proved, no one could recognize in the taller
of the two Chinaman the young officer who had but just come to the
ship; while even the leader of the pirates at Paddi would have passed
him by without a suspicion that this humble individual, who seemed to
find it necessary to kow-tow to every person of note or of the smallest
consequence, was the Englishman for whom he sought, and whom he had last
encountered in the guise of a Dyak chief.
"Your acting is superb," Captain Keppel was at length able to blurt out,
"and I must really congratulate you, Mr. Richardson, upon the excellence
of your appearance. But tell me how you propose to proceed? Surely, if
you go up the river as you are, they will think that you are a man of
some wealth and will pounce upon you, for your clothes are better than
those worn, as a rule, by the Chinamen here."
"They are put on simply for the purpose of coming here, sir," replied
Tyler earnestly. "If one of the country which I am supposed to represent
had occasion to come to you, he would certainly don his best clothing
for the purpose. But I shall take others with me, and once up the river
I have but to strip off these outer garments and I become in a moment a
coolie, one of the men who is to be come across in every part, at work
upon the forest-trees, preparing a clearing in which to cultivate rice.
The pirates do not molest them as a rule, though the Chinaman's fear of
the former makes him keep at a distance from them generally. As to the
river, sir, I shall act as circumstances demand, but my idea is to row
boldly up to Rembas or to Pakoo and make friends with the pirates, with
the idea of escaping later on."
"It sounds terribly risky, my lad," exclaimed Captain Keppel, as though
a feeling of remorse had suddenly come to him for having selected this
young officer for such a task. "Do you think that it will be necessary
to actually throw in your lot with these men?"
"But, no--I will not interfere in any manner," he cried, after a
moment's thought, interrupting Tyler before he could give an answer to
the question. "I will leave the carrying out of the duty entirely to
you, well knowing that you will not be impetuous, and that you have had
an experience already which will be invaluable. You shall leave this
ship when our chat is ended, and shall make your way to the Sarebus when
and how you like. On your return to the _Dido_ I shall have something to
say, and let me remind you now that we have appointed the island at the
mouth of the river as a rendezvous, and that we shall sail there shortly
after you have left us. Till we meet--the very best of fortune, my dear
lad! As to getting there, I may say that the men who are looking after
the prahus which you brought from the Sarebus will at once hand any of
the vessels over when you show them this order."
Stepping to a bureau, which was fastened to one wall of the cabin, the
commander of the _Dido_ scrawled a few hurried lines, and then handed
the note to Tyler. A second later the latter was kow-towing himself from
the presence of the two officers, his fingers aching with the hearty
shake and grip which each had given him.
"A remarkably fine young fellow, and with wits!" exclaimed the captain.
"He is an acquisition, Horton, and is as smart an officer as I ever came
across."
"And he is not spoilt by success, as so many would be, sir," burst
in the lieutenant "He is always in earnest, it seems to me, unless
skylarking with lads of his own age, and he is clever. Look at the way
he acted. Why, even a moment ago he did not allow himself to forget his
rôle, and I'll be bound that the marine on sentry-go outside has not the
faintest idea who it was he passed on to the deck."
That this was the case was abundantly evident, and had the door only
remained open, those within the cabin would have quickly learnt
the fact; for no sooner had the door closed than the sentry, an
ill-conditioned fellow with a particular dislike to foreigners, grasped
the Chinaman by the shoulders and hustled him on to the deck without
ceremony. Then with a scowl and a "Git on with yer!" he went back to
his beat, little thinking that his act was one likely to entail serious
consequences later on.
But Tyler did not allow his temper to be ruffled, and, hastening along
the deck, soon joined Li Sung. A moment or two later they were passing
down the gangway, and very soon the two officers, watching from the
gun-port in the cabin right aft, saw a tiny sampan swing out into the
stream and pull for the prahus which lay moored some little distance
away. A strong pull and it disappeared from sight, leaving the watchers
to wonder when they would see Tyler Richardson again, and what would be
his tale when he rejoined them.